Into The Wild
by katiekat784
Summary: She couldn't seem to shake the feeling that they weren't out of the woods yet. She couldn't help but feel as though they were only entering the wild, without any idea of what was out there. Post 2x23 Unthinkable.
1. Into The Wild

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I don't on anything that's familiar._

**Words:** 875

**Prompt:** "Into The Wild"

Into The Wild

She yawned and then sighed as she turned off the computers at the new "lair". Between everything that had happened lately, she was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Oliver noticed. "What's wrong?"

They hadn't spoken much when they flew back home. In fact after their conversation before they left the island, they hasn't spoken at all, besides work related things. It wasn't as if she didn't want to talk to him because she did. It was that she couldn't figure out what to say to him, and that frightened her. She never had "nothing" to say to anyone, especially when it came to him.

But it wasn't as if they were avoiding each other. When they got back, they became swamped with both, work for the Arrow and work to get Queen Consolidated back. It hadn't left much time for chatting.

"Earth to Felicity." He looked at her, expectantly.

"Sorry, what?" She had missed what he said, lost in her thoughts.

Lines on his forehead bunched together. "I asked if you were okay."

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine, just a little distracted." She told him, waving him off with her hand.

"I can see that." There was still concern in his eyes but the lines on his forehead smoothened.

She started to blush at the intensity of his stare. "I'm tired, I think that I'll try and get some rest. After all, we have a lot to do tomorrow."

She tried to look away but he held her gaze. "Felicity,"

"Oliver," she replied, matching his tone.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, his eyes seemed to bear into her and she was hypnotized, unable to look away.

"I'm sorry." He told her, sincerely.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "There's no need to apologize."

He shook his head. "I promised you and myself that I wouldn't put you in danger, I broke that promise."

She suddenly felt stupid because she thought he was apologizing for the other thing, the thing that had been keeping her up at night. "Look, I knew what I was getting into when I told you that I was all in, it's okay."

"And I'm sorry for what I said at the house." He apologized, somehow knowing what she was thinking.

"I know," she replied quickly, wanting to get off the topic.

He wasn't finished. "I shouldn't have done that. I should've told you from the beginning."

"Why didn't you?" She asked, quietly.

"I couldn't," he didn't finish the sentence.

But it wasn't hard to figure out what the end of the sentence was. "I would've agreed with it, you know. I would've still gone through with it even if I knew the plan."

"I know, that's the problem." He told her, unhappily.

She was confused. "Why?"

He didn't answer her, instead told her something that she wasn't expecting. "I meant what I said after Moscow. Because of who I am, what I have to do, I can't be with anybody that I could really care about."

Her voice came out strong as she tried to follow where he was going with the conversation. "And I meant what I said; you deserve someone better than what you think. Oliver, you're a good person."

"So are you. You should be happy." He said, honestly.

She smiled, "I am." He gave her a dubious look and she continued. "Oliver, do you really think that I would be here, that I would continue to do this with you if I wasn't happy?"

They didn't say anything after that. He shot her a look; it was the same look he gave her the day he "confessed" his feelings for her.

She yawned and he spoke. "You really should get some rest."

She raised her eyebrows. "I was going to but someone started a conversation with me."

He let out a chuckle and shook his head. "See you tomorrow."

He squeezed her shoulder gently, as she told him. "Yeah, we have a busy day tomorrow."

She left, yawning repeatedly as she drove home. She put the keys on the counter and made her way through the apartment on autopilot. She then put on the comfiest pajamas she owned and crawled into bed, her mind still reeling.

She couldn't seem to stop the thoughts that raced through her head. Between the "confession" three days ago and the conversation that just happened, she didn't know what to think. She kept thinking that even though they were off the island, even though Slade was gone, the damage was still there. The can of worms or in this case feelings were opened and couldn't seem to be stuffed back in.

They weren't on the island or in the mansion, the mission was over. It shouldn't have mattered anymore. But it did. It wasn't real, his declaration of love wasn't real but yet she couldn't seem to shake the look he gave her. She was always able to tell if he was lying and she didn't sense it that night. That was what haunted her. She couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't out of the woods yet. She couldn't help but feel as though they were in fact only entering the wild, without any idea of what was out there.

**AN So, this is my first attempt at Arrow. This story is part of the Olicity Flash Fic prompts that's on Tumblr. Anyways, thanks for reading and it would make my day if you reviewed. :)**


	2. Playing Games

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I don't on anything that's familiar._

**Words:** 698

**Prompt:** "Game On"

Playing Games

_This wasn't supposed to happen; this really wasn't supposed to happen. _She thought to herself, as she made her way around the kitchen.

Her life, however dull and boring it was, was a whole lot simpler two years ago. She knew who he was, of course. After all, he was technically her boss. She would have never thought that she would become one of those girls.

"Oh god," She thought. "I'm turning into Margret."

She shook her head, no, that was a completely different thing than this. Margret's boss was married; in his forty's and promised her a better career if she slept with him, he did none of those things. And being who Margret was, she "fell in love" with him. Besides, as much as she tried when she was younger, she could never be like her sister. That was something that she was grateful for now. Even though she knew that she wasn't Margret, she still was screwed. But she didn't want to think about why, not really.

Although, she won't admit it out loud, she cares for him, more than platonically. So much more than platonically. She knows that he's not a bad person. She knows that he doesn't do it on purpose and she understands that he's not the best with his feelings but she can't help but hate him, just a little for what he's doing to her, unintentionally of course.

The kettle boiled, startling her from her thoughts. At least it did for a moment. She grabbed a mug and poured the water into it. A couple seconds later, she stirred and took out the tea bag.

She thought that she knew him, better than anyone. No, she did know him but she knew Oliver not Ollie. Ollie would've never given her the time of day but Oliver, he was…Oliver. She couldn't seem to describe it. She couldn't seem to describe how he treated her like an equal, a partner at everything despite the fact that technically, she's neither. She didn't know how to explain the way his eyes, despite his best efforts, conveyed the turmoil of emotions that swirled in his beautiful eyes. No, she wouldn't be able to form the correct words, despite how much she talks.

She sighed and sat down on the couch, mindlessly flipping through the channels on the television. She went to M.I.T, graduated top of her class, built a name for herself; she knew how bright she was. But when it came to him, it was as though her brain shut off and her heart seemed to take over. She somehow was becoming one of those girls. She wasn't the only one; he seemed to have that effect on a lot of people. And that was that problem. That's what worried her.

He wasn't the best at expressing how he felt but she always thought that she could read him, from the first time he came to her office with his bullet filled laptop. But now she was beginning to doubt it. In fact, she was beginning to doubt everything. From the looks and touches they gave each other, to the concern and what could only be described as jealously they showed toward one another. She was beginning to doubt it all.

Before him, she was never one of those girls who sat around and waited. Before him her life was relatively uncomplicated. Before him, she had never felt so conflicted. Before him she wasn't a lot of things. But now she was waiting. She was waiting for him to stop playing around with her sensitive heart that she had unknowingly gave to him. She was waiting for him to realize and act upon the feelings she desperately wished that he had for her. But being the type of girl that she was, she wouldn't last very long. Soon enough, she knew that she'd become too frustrated and stop letting him play games, however unintentional, with her heart. Or soon enough, she'll join in and attempt to play the game too. Because she's starting to realize that sitting on the sidelines won't get her very far.

"Yeah," She thought out loud. "I'm totally screwed."

**AN So, this prompt turned out completely different than I thought it would. I'm not the best at things like this but I'm now making this a multi-chapter story with each chapter (really loosely) relating to each other and the season two final. Anyways. thanks for all of the follows and favorites, they mean so much to me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review, it would make my day. :)**


	3. Too Far, Too Fast (Part 1)

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't on anything that's familiar._

**Words:** 629

**Prompt:** "Too Far, Too Fast"

**Note:** Part 1 of 3

Too Far, Too Fast 

(Part 1)

She was in getting in her car when she realized that she had forgotten a few pieces of paperwork to get Queen Consolidated back.

When she retendered the "lair" to get the documents, she wasn't thinking that she would find them, intimate. It wasn't like they were ripping each other's clothes off or anything, they were just kissing but it still looked very intimate. It wasn't that she had a problem with them kissing or being together for that matter, it was just that she didn't think that the "lair" was the appropriate place for it. She thought to herself as she made her way back up the stairs as quietly as she could.

She was about to close the door and go when he looked up. He looked guilty, as if he had been caught, which he had been but that wasn't the thing that she was focusing on.

Laurel noticed that his gaze was somewhere else and followed his line of sight. The look that Laurel gave her made her stomach hurt. It seemed to be a mixture of pity and victory. They all stared at each other for what felt like hours but were really just seconds. She then made an awkward hand wave and left.

Shutting the door behind her, she ran to her car sat in it as fast as she could. She couldn't breathe and was shaking. Taking a few moments to recuperate, she closed her eyes and took a few deep calming breaths. It shouldn't have been alarming, in all honesty she knew that this was coming but it still hurt like hell when she finally saw it.

"_Well, did you expect him to actually mean what he said?" _The voice in her head told her menacingly as her breathing returned to normal.

He didn't realize how much his words affected her, how much they meant to her. She was in shock when he told her, that day. She couldn't say anything and when she mind formed the words to say to him, the words that went along with his declaration of love for her, the syringe was placed into her hands.

He didn't realize that her world started to shift and spin as he confessed. He didn't realize that she would've replied to his confession had the words not got in her throat. He didn't realize that her world had become out of control when she realized that it wasn't real. Or how it seemed to keep crashing down on her as she tries to fix the damage he's caused her. And really, she doesn't want him too. Because she knows him, she knows the looks he'll give her, the words he'll say to her and the awkwardness that'll ensure if he ever found out about how damaged she really is because of him.

She knows everything that'll happen or at least she thinks that she does, because lately everything's changed. Lately everything has become so muddled together that she's not sure if he loves her, cares for her or thinks of her as another sister. Lately, she's been losing her mind.

She thinks about this as she drives away, back to her place. She thinks of it as she parks her car and makes her way to the door. When she opens the door, she's expecting to talk a long, scorching bath with candles and exotic scents. She's frozen yoghurt in the fridge and mint tea afterward. She's expecting to watch the notebook for t he hundredth time because she needs a good cry. What she's not expecting is him, waiting for her at the kitchen table.

What she's not expecting are his brooding eyebrows and solemn voice saying, "We need to talk."

**AN As the title says, this is part 1. There will be two or three parts to this prompt. Because of exams, the chapters are a bit sporadic but it'll change in a couple of weeks. Thank you to everyone who's reading, following and review, it makes my day. :) **


	4. Too Far, Too Fast (Part 2)

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own anything that's familiar._

**Prompt:** "Too Far, Too Fast"

**Words:** 898

**Note:** Part 2 of 3

Too Far, Too Fast 

(Part 2)

The way she sees it is that she has two options, be the doughy eyed girl that she usually is around him or be the tough woman who doesn't take shit from anyone, the girl who she always wanted to be. Maybe it's because he's hurt her one too many times now. Maybe it's because she's tired, because being around him makes her exhausted. Or maybe it's because she's finally had enough. Whatever it is, something in her decides to go with the tough woman façade.

"What do you want?" She must've been selling it because her tone made him flinch.

"Felicity," he started, and without giving him the chance to say anything else, she stopped him.

She was already frustrated at him, the world, herself and his tone made her even more irritable. "No Oliver, I don't really want to hear excuses or half apologies. I want the truth, you owe me that much. In fact, you owe me a lot more than that but that's where we'll start! So, I'll say this again. Why are you here?"

He was visibly shocked and in any other moment, she would've been proud with herself for getting that sort of reaction out of him but this wasn't any other time. "Felicity,"

"Stop," she told him, forcefully. "Stop saying my name like that."

Now he was getting frustrated. "Like what, Felicity."

"Stop saying my name like I'm just some school girl with a one sided crush on you!" She yelled at him.

"I'm not," he replied, repeating her tone.

She groaned in frustration. "Yes, you are and you denying it is not making this any less maddening."

"It wasn't my intention to." He told her.

His choice of words released another wave of anger from within her. "That's always your problem, Oliver. You never intend to do something, it's never your intention to do this or that. But you know what, it doesn't matter. Because you can't do something to someone, tell them that it's not what you intended and think that everything's okay, that everything will magically go back to normal. Because whether you intended to or not, things happen!"

"You don't think that I understand that. Felicity, I've had five years to realize that and even now, I'm still understanding that. I know that things don't just magically disappear and things happen. I may have been a little removed from normal civilization for a while but I'm not that dense."

She scoffed, "Really, because you could've fooled me."

"What's gotten into you, because this isn't you." He asked,

"No, that's where you're wrong. This is me, this has always been me. I'm just done with the puppy dog eyes and shy, quirkiness. Oliver, I'm done with all of it!" She told him, frustrated.

"Done with all of what?" He asked, his questioning voice was calmer.

In return, she became calmer too. "I'm done playing this game, Oliver. From the first time we met, I knew you were going to cause me pain and trouble and I wasn't wrong. Our first meeting was based on a lie. The foundation that we grew our 'friendship' and 'partnership' on were based on keeping secrets. It's not right, it's never been right and lately that's been getting so much clearer."

His eyebrows knitted together. "That's not the way I see it at all."

She gave him a dubious look. "Come on Oliver; don't lie, not about this."

"I'm not. And you want me to be honest, fine." She was about to interrupt but he spoke over her. "From the first time we met, I felt a connection. You came to me and asked if you could trust me but what you don't understand is what it would've taken for me to trust someone if you weren't there. The foundation that we built our 'friendship' and 'partnership' on started as secrets but you know me. You know better than anyone, the real me."

"I used to think that but lately, I can't tell anymore." She confessed, quietly.

They stared at each other, hurt and confused expressions mirrored each other's faces. Neither one moved until something in them snapped.

She didn't move or breathe as he pulled a strand of hair that had fallen out of her disastrous ponytail, behind her hair and whispered an apology. "Felicity,"

"Oliver don't, please." She murmured.

"Why not?" He was so close to her, his soft hand rested on the back of her neck, rubbing light circles.

Her voice was hoarse. "Because…we can't, we wouldn't be able to go back."

"I don't want to go back. I feel that all we seem to do is go back." His voice was stronger.

"Oliver, please." She was pleading but unsure for what.

He retreated, and she almost whimpered at the loss of contact. The tingling sensations she got from him hadn't left her yet and she suspected that they wouldn't leave her anytime soon. She looked in his eyes that were coated with confusion, desire and hurt. For a moment, she felt glad that he was feeling exactly what she felt that night but then she realized that it wasn't right. She wasn't quite sure what it was, why she did it. But one second she was staring into his beautiful eyes and the next, she was lacing her fingers around his neck, moving his lips to hers.

**AN Sorry, I've been dealing with the torture of exam month, so that's why the updates are a little slow but they're finished on Wednesday, so the updates will be more regular. Thanks for reading and the follows, they make my day. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one should be up sometime next week. **


	5. Too Far, Too Fast (Part 3)

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own anything that's familiar._

**Words:** 678

**Prompt:** Too Far, Too Fast

Too Far, Too Fast 

(Part 3)

She was kissing him, she was kissing Oliver Queen. And he was kissing her back. Just the fact that it was happening was amazing but the kiss itself was heavenly and passionate and incredible. In that moment nothing else mattered, nothing but the way his lips moulded beautifully with hers. His soft lips tasted like an exotic fruit that she wouldn't be able to memorize, even if she tried. His arms wrapped around her waist and she let out an involuntary moan as they deepened the kiss. The moment was perfect but then just as fast as it happened, the moment was gone. Her mind caught up to her and she realized what kissing Oliver Queen meant.

She unlaced her fingers that were behind his neck and with as much force as she could, she pulled back. "No, no, no, we are _not_ doing this."

He seemed to be as breathless as she was. "Wha..."

"Oliver, less than an hour ago, you were making out with Laurel. We got into an argue net, things got heated. We got caught in the heart of the moment. We're both not thinking clearly." She tried to reason, with both him and herself.

"It was a mistake." He said with an unreadable expression.

She didn't seem to hear him. "If there's one thing I'm not, it's a cheater or rather 'cheaty'. Is that even a real word, 'cheaty'? It doesn't sound like one. But you get the point. What we did was a mistake." When she stopped babbling, what he said registered.

"Felicity," he spoke her name gently and reached out to touch her but stopped and let his arm fall loosely by his side.

"You shouldn't have come over." She told him, after a period of silence.

"I needed to." He said, his voice forceful.

"No," she corrected. "You wanted to."

"No, I needed to. I couldn't leave things the way they were. I shouldn't have done that there." He said, trying to make her understand.

"It's a thing with you, isn't it?" Seeing his confused expression, she went on. "I saw the video feed with you and Sara, not all of it but enough. And you know what right now, that's not what's making me mad. What's getting me mad is that you're doing it again."

His expression changed from confused to embarrassed back to confused. "Doing what again?"

"Acting as if my world revolves around you. As if seeing you with someone else is going to destroy me. I may have feelings for you but I'm not going to break down if you're with someone else." She lied, frustrated with him and herself.

"You're right, I shouldn't have come tonight." He told her, heading for the door.

"You're not even going to bother commenting on what I just said." She squeezed her eyes shut and cursed herself for once again, putting her foot in her mouth.

He turned around to face her but didn't make any moment to step closer to her, as he sighed. "No, I'm not going to because there's already been enough said and I don't want either of us to regret anything else. You've made yourself clear and so have I."

Before she could get anything out, he had left, the echoing sound the door closing shut rang in her ears. She stood there, in the middle of the room, trying to process everything that had happened from an hour ago to now.

As she thought, she realized that they had moved too far, done and said too much. And now they were past the line that they drew for themselves. She realized that they couldn't go back now, couldn't brush this off like they did before. No, this was different than the mansion but she supposes that what was said at the mansion was a catalyst for the events that we're now taking place. She realized that from that point everything had changed and not in a good way. Not at all. Because this time, they really did go too far, too fast.

**AN Hey guys, it's been way too long. I hope that people had a great Canada Day and are going to have a good 4th of July. Thanks for the favourites, follows and reviews, they make my day. Hope you liked this chapter and feedback's always appreciated. :)**


	6. Alone With Him

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I don't own anything that's familiar._

**Words:** 1014

**Prompt:** 'Alone With You'

Alone With Him

She was running late but really it wasn't her fault. The two girls in front of her were taking forever to order and by the looks of it, they were training two new people. When she finally got her order, she moved quickly, not even glancing at the time. He wasn't going to be too thrilled that she was late. But then again, he was probably too busy with _her_ to notice anything.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts because really, she's already spent way too much time thinking about that and it never let to anything good. She had just gotten through the doors when someone smacked into her. Being who she was, she stumbled and fell, along with her coffee that sloshed everywhere.

"Gee, You should watch were you're going." She cursed as the liquid burned her skin.

"I'm so sorry." The guy apologized and by the sound of it, he was sincere. "Are you okay?"

He held out a hand for her but she ignored it. When she got up, she was preparing to give him a scolding that he wouldn't forget but one glance at him and it died on her lips. Channing and Brad had nothing on him. He was drop dead gorgeous.

"I'm s-sorry." She stuttered, trying to focus.

He gave her a smile and she noticed a dimple on his cheek. "There's no need. If anything, I should be apologizing to you."

"It's fine, nothing landed on my dress and I've suffered far worse burns than this. You should've see the burn I got when I was eleven. I tried to cook breakfast for my mom and you really don't need to hear this. So, I'm going to stop talking now." She said, cursing her mouth.

He chuckled, his cheeks lifting and crinkling the edges around his emerald eyes. "No, it sounds interesting. Care to tell me it over another cup of coffee? Considering I just ruined yours."

At any other time in her life, she would've gladly excepted but this wasn't any other time. "As tempting as that offer is and believe me, it's tempting, I can't."

He took it graciously, and she wondered what the hell was wrong with her for turning him down. "Well, maybe some other time then?"

She grinned, "Yeah, another time."

He got out a pen and her took a napkin from her hands, writing something down. It was then when she took the time to appreciate his choice of clothing. She was curious to know how he could pull that off, a look that made him seem influential, yet not pretentious.

"Hope to see you again." He told her, as he handed her napkin back to her.

"Maybe you will." She responded flirtatiously, not really knowing where that came from.

They gave each other one last glance before he walked through the doors of the coffee shop. She was almost certain that she looked like a Cheshire Cat but she didn't care. For the first time in a long while, she felt happy, giddy even. She frowned because in spite of all that, she never got his name. She then peaked at the napkin in front of her and the grin was back on her face. He had given her his name and number along with a message saying, "For if you ever change your mind."

She walked back to the brand new Queen Consolidated with a skip in her step. She hummed a tune, as the elevator made its way up to the her floor. But when she reached his office, her mood dampened. _They_ were kissing. She used that word to describe it but really it should've been more along the lines of 'attacking each other's faces'. She caught Diggle's gaze from the other side of the room and let out a soft chuckle at his reaction.

She sat down at her desk, ruffling through a stack of papers. It had been almost two months since the incident at her house. Meaning almost sixty days had gone by where they had been trying to find their footing. Even now, they were still trying to move away from that. It had been extremely tense and uncomfortable those first few weeks but then they gradually morphed back into before, except they didn't. She knew that it probably wouldn't ever be like before but she's had some time to come to terms with it. She has no choice but to except the situation at hand and try to deal with it in whatever way possible. Because what she figured out that awful first week after the 'incident' was that despite her personal feelings towards Oliver, they had a job to do. A job that was a lot bigger and much more important than their personal problems.

As the lunch break ended, Laurel left and Diggle walked out behind her. Only her and Oliver remained and that wasn't the most spectacular thing in the world. Because despite her taking the high road and despite them not talking about what happened that night, things were still a little tense. In the last two months, she's come to learn that she doesn't like being alone with him anymore. It's another thing that she has to adjust to, she thinks to herself. He gives her a nod when he catches her looking his way, it had been his way of greeting her lately. In return, she would give him a small wave. And really, the entire exchange is just a testament to how awkward they've let themselves become around each other.

The past two months had been like hell and she deserved a break. That's why, two days later, she called Max and asked him if that offer was still on the table. Because if Oliver could live his life, as if he hadn't been affected, then she could damn well live hers properly too. Yeah, it had been a long couple of months and she didn't think that they were going to get shorter or better any time soon.

**AN Wow, that's a lot of words for an hour. I thought that you guys deserved a lighter chapter and Felicity needs a date. And who knows, maybe there'll be a jealous Oliver in a couple of chapters. Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for your feedback. :)**


	7. Caught (But Not Really)

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that looks familiar._

**Words:** 1221

**Prompt:** Red-Handed

Caught (But Not Really)

She had been having an amazing first date. Max had taken her to a gorgeous restaurant with outstanding food and they had been having interesting conversations. In all, it had been the best first date she had been on in a long while, if ever. It was going amazing until _he _showed up. Really, she shouldn't have been shocked; after all, it did seem like the type of place _he_ would go to.

She really shouldn't have thought that she had been caught, like she was doing something wrong when the unmistakable voice asked. "Felicity?"

She swallowed before turning around and seeing the face that she dreaded. "Oliver, hi."

With fake cheeriness that she hoped he wouldn't notice, she introduced him to Max. "Max, this is Oliver, my boss. Oliver, this is Max."

"Her date," Max informed him, as he shook Oliver's hand. She could see them sizing each other up and she chewed at the inside of her lip.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet someone in Felicity's life." He said tightly, she could see the vein in his neck throbbing and she really hoped that he didn't do something stupid because they were finally on okay terms again.

They stopped shaking hands and as if actually noticing her for the first time, he stared at her. She could practically feel his gaze boring into her and it took everything in her to not make a scene. Despite her protest, her body did what it wanted and she blushed. And although, only her reaction was noticeable, they both jumped at the sound of coughing.

They all looked over to see the sight of a dazzling Laurel, who linked an arm around Oliver. "Hey Ollie, the waiter said that the table's ready. Oh, Felicity, hi."

She had nothing against Laurel, she seemed like a nice enough person but she also was the type of girl who Felicity would never talk to. "Hi Laurel, you look great."

"Yeah, she does. She looks remarkable." He said while staring at his girlfriend and Felicity couldn't help but feel a sting in the words, after all, wasn't remarkable what he used to describe her at one point?

"Well, we should get to our table." Oliver informed her.

Max piped in. "Yeah, you should. Nice meeting you."

Oliver seemed to ignore him. "See you Monday, Felicity."

Yeah, bright and early." She finished lamely, as they started walking to the other side of the room.

Laurel had glanced at her, as if to say that he was hers and she couldn't have him. She suddenly felt a little ashamed and pissed of. Max must've seen it on her face, as she turned around to face him because he cocked his head to one side.

"I'm sorry about that; he's not really a people person." She apologized, wondering if it was just her that felt the awkwardness of the situation.

Max's response was a raise of an eyebrow but didn't say anything for a few moments. "He was checking you out."

She had taken a sip of her wine, trying to get rid of the dryness in her throat when he spoke. "What, no!"

It seemed that her reaction was the one he was expecting because his eyebrows were still raised. "Are you sure that there's nothing going on between you two because I don't want to be the one getting in the middle of something when you're already taken."

She quickly responded, "I'm not a possession, so no, I'm not taken. And no, there's nothing going on between Oliver and I."

Noticing the tone of her voice, he apologized. "I'm sorry, I wasn't intending it to come out that you were a possession. It's just I'm really starting to like you, Felicity. And I would like to know if I'm the only one."

They gazed into each other's eyes, for a moment and she could see the honesty in them. She then smiled at his confession and took his hand.

Funny, sweet, stunning and into her, she didn't understand how it could get any better. "You're not the only one. "

She was trying to get the tension out of the atmosphere, so she added, jokingly. "Besides, it does help that you're extremely good looking, I mean, have you looked in the mirror? Of course you have, how else would you get ready and go about you're day and three, two, one, I'm going to stop talking." She babbled, feeling the warmth on her cheeks.

He chuckled, "Please, don't stop on my account. I find it extremely attractive and the fact that every time you realize you're babbling, you bite your lip. And I really hope that I didn't just offend you."

"I think that the babbling may be contagious. And no, honesty is a good trait to have." She replied laughing, as she felt her cheeks getting warmer than before.

"It seems as if you don't encounter it often." He told her, surprised.

She pondered for a second, trying to find the right words. "Let's just say that I find it, refreshing."

They finished the rest of their meal with small chitchat. And when he drove her home, the conversation didn't lag. In fact, she noticed that for the first time in an extremely long while, she wasn't the one talking. She also noticed that whenever she would speak, he would listen and actually hear what she was saying. It felt good, better than good, it felt amazing.

When they got to her house, he opened her door and walked her up the porch. They laughed, as she finally told him about the time she attempted to cook for her mom. When she unlocked her door, the conversation stopped.

"I had an incredible time tonight." He told her, and she heard the genuineness in his voice.

She nodded, "Yeah, so did I. I hadn't realized how much I needed this."

"A night out, with no worries or stress about anything else." He replied, finishing her thought.

When she stared at him with wide eyes, he told her. "I needed a night out too. We should do it again sometime."

Even after the night they had, he was still giving her an out if she wanted one. "I would really like that."

"Good," he told her before he pressed his lips to hers.

When she felt the slight pressure of his mouth, she thought that it would be filled with desire and heat. She was right but she was also wrong. The kiss was filled with passion and heat. But it was also filled with promises. And oddly enough, she craved that more than everything else, promises. Promises, she somehow knew he would keep.

The kiss eventually stopped, too soon for her liking and he pulled away. She bit her lip and for the first time that night, wasn't embarrassed when she felt herself blush. "Goodnight, Max."

He tucked a strand of hair behind her hair and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Felicity."

He left and she walked inside, touching her cheek. With a wide grin on her face, she took off her shoes and thought about how the night could've gone wrong so many times but it ended up being wonderful. For the first time in a long while, she fell asleep thinking of Max, not _him_.

**AN Well, that took longer to update than I expected. Sorry about that. I've been on vacation and I finally sat down to write today. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. And just to let you know, it will eventually be Felicity/Oliver but for now, I'm having fun with Max. (It's to prepare us for Felicity's love interest in season 3). Anyways, thanks for reading, the favourites and follows. **


	8. In The Dark

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that's familiar._**

**Words:** 1447

**Prompt:** "In The Dark"

In The Dark

It's just them; they're alone in the space that's used for their extracurricular activities. They're alone and apart from the occasional grunt, it's silent. The light clack of keys on the keyboard makes noise that echoes throughout the space their in. It's quiet and she hates that. But she supposes that the quiet is better than an argument. She's been busy researching a couple of lawyers who may be attached to a few murders. And he's been exercising for the past hour. She used to ponder exactly how many hours he spent working out but nowadays, her focus hasn't been much on his physique. They're not fighting, they just haven't spoken much. And she wants to change that because despite everything, he was a friend, a good friend. But now he's an acquaintance and it's strange.

She stops thinking about everything else and focuses on the task at hand. Her hands are flying across the keyboard at speeds that she's damn proud of. Occasionally, she stops furiously tapping to drink and glance up at him using the salmon bars. She doesn't look as much anymore, for obvious reasons. She hears another grunt and goes back to furiously tapping away.

Suddenly, her screen goes blank and the room is engulfed in darkness. She doesn't panic – because things like that aren't high on her panic list since meeting him – and she hears him jump of the salmon ladder. The sound echoes through the room.

"You okay?" He asks her, as the echo dies down.

She nods but stops when she realizes that they're in the dark. "Yeah, I'm fine. The generator should kick in a minute."

"The storm must be affecting it." He states.

"Must be," she agrees, speaking more to herself than to him

They go back to silence and she hates the fact that it's come down to this. She knows that something needs to be done about it. The darkness seems to have given her the confidence boost that she need. And she knows that if she doesn't speak now, the slightly filled tension will go on longer.

So, with a deep breath she says. "Oliver,"

"Yes," he responds after a second and she thinks that he's moved closer to her.

She opens her mouth to speak but the words won't come out of her mouth. As she adjusts to the darkness, she notices that he actually has gotten closer to her. Not very close but closer than he's been in a long while. It seems that thinking has also robbed her of her confidence.

"Never mind, sorry." She tells him with a shake of her head.

She can tell that he's confused but then he brushes it off. "Okay."

The silence continues and he rummages through his bag, pulling out a shirt. As he puts it on, she notices that it's one of his after workout shirts. Really, she can't help but be observant; after all it's been three years. And she reasons that there's nothing wrong with being able to tell that because they were very close at one point.

"Felicity," he says her name and she thinks that she can hear a slight trace of hesitation in his voice.

She also responds a little hesitantly. "Yeah."

"Are we okay?" He asks, quietly.

She's taken back at his question but then she realizes that he still thinks that she's upset with him for interrupting her during her date on Friday. She understands why, because she did give him the cold shoulder on Monday. But that wasn't because of Friday and it wasn't his fault. Well not entirely.

There's an unintentional pause before she answers. "Yeah, we're okay."

It becomes quiet again and after a while, he says softly. "I don't like the silence. It's not us. I mean, it never used to be."

She lets out a breath of air. "I know, I can't stand it. I don't want it to continue but I don't know how we're supposed to get back."

She sees him shrug. "Neither do I."

She chews her lip for a few moments before divulging. "I'm not mad or upset with you Oliver, at least not anymore. I'm actually doing really well."

He finally looks directly at her for the first time that night. "I'm happy for you, Felicity. All I want is for you to be happy."

She doesn't break their eye contact. "I know and I am. So, how about you? Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I am." He tells her, nodding his head.

They break eye contact and it becomes quiet but there's something that's buzzing through the air. She knows what it is and she's sure that he feels and knows it too. The room is being filled with unvoiced thoughts and she knows that if they're going to do this, they have to do it right.

So, she licks she lips and with as much courage as she can muster, she tells him. "I thought you meant it. I…I was going to say it back. I really thought that you meant it. "

"I know you did. And…I did mean it." He confesses to her and she almost thinks that she's dreamt it.

The air seemed to have left her lungs. "What?"

He shifts, nervously but continues. "I didn't realize it until I said it. But it was only then when I realized that I meant it, that it was real."

Her mouth hangs open a little and she forces it closed before asking in disbelief. "Then why'd you let me believe it was a lie? Why'd you make me go through that? Why'd you let me get mad at you? Why'd you let me believe tha-"

"Because Felicity, I also meant what I said in Moscow." He told her, interrupting her rant.

Without thinking she shot out. "Well then why are you with Laurel?"

He didn't get mad; he just furrowed his eyebrows, as if tying to find the right words. "Because she's…she's safe. Because she doesn't know so much about this part of my life and she doesn't want to."

She understands what else he means but he says it anyway. "And because of that, she's safe. Because if I'm with you, Felicity I'll put you before the job that needs to be done. And in our line of work, if I lose focus, if I… if I'm not putting all my strength into what I'm doing, it'll get even more dangerous than it is now. And if _anything _were to happen to you…"

"I thought that I understood you and all of the sacrifices that you've made but I think…I think I get it now. What you're doing, what we're doing is beyond what I thought I could do. It's beyond what I thought I was capable of. And I finally realize why there are rules about having a relationship with someone you work with. I'm sorry that you've had to make these choices. And Oliver, I'm sorry about what's happened." She's close to tears because everything with him is raw and she hasn't felt this open with him in such a long time, if ever.

He steps closer to her and she can see the emotions swarming in his eyes. "It was never your burden to try understand this. I never expected or wanted you to. And you don't need to apologize, in fact you shouldn't. Because what's happened has been my fault, my terrible decisions have caused this."

She shakes her head. "No, it's not all on you."

He opens his mouth to say something but stops, only when she stares at him for him to go on does he speak. "While we're being honest, there's something about Max and I don't like him."

Despite everything, she lets out a laugh and soon he's chuckling too.

The laugh's a little shaky but it's the first genuine laugh that she's had with him for such a long time. "You don't have to because I do."

The laugh fades when she sees the look he gives her. "You really do, don't you?"

She notes the lack of judgment or irritation in his voice, so she tells him. "Yeah, I think I do. More than I thought."

They talk for a while after that, not about Max or Laurel but about the things they wished they could've said to one another in the months without each other. The light fills the room again and she thinks about how – in more ways than one – their not in the dark anymore. Because, they're actually okay again and everything's slowly going back to the way that it should be. Because some days, everything turns out right.

**AN Because this is so long, I didn't have time to correct it properly. So, I'm sorry for any mistakes. And yay, they're actually speaking again. I really couldn't help it; this story seems to have a mind of its own. Anyways, thank you guys so much for all the follows, favorites and reviews. They make my day. **


	9. Illusions

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own anything that's familiar_

**Words**: 758

**Prompt:** Illusions

Illusions

"Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance, back on again? One of Starling city's power couples were spotted being nice and cozy while at what looked like a lunch date. While, it's not confirmed or denied, the photos and an inside source says otherwise." She hears the reporter say, as she walks into the living room.

She rolls her eyes; the reporter was about a month too late. Really, she's surprised that they've kept it a secret for this long, mind you, they did breakup and just get back together last month. She had heard that they were back together again from Diggle because after their talk about the island three months ago, whether intentional or not, there hasn't been a lot of PDA from them.

She turns down the TV, its one o'clock in the afternoon and she's still in her pajamas, eating breakfast. She sets the bowl of cereal down on the table and sinks into the couch. Usually Saturday's are immensely busy but today was a rarity. And even though she hasn't done anything today and just got up, she's still tired.

She's tired because she hasn't slept much, there's too much on her mind. She had tossed and turned all night, trying to make a decision that's as big as her decision to move from Vegas. It had all started on her date with Max, last night.

The night started well, very well but then again, most of their dates went well. Max had taken her bowling; she had always liked bowling but hadn't gotten the time to do it recently. She told him that she was convinced that he was secretly a professional bowler because of his bowling abilities. They laughed and she had somehow managed to win their last game. Afterward, he led her down an alleyway to a 60's diner. She had mentioned to him that she had always wanted to one but hadn't been able to find a good one. It was then when it went downhill.

He hadn't been himself for the past few dates; she figured he was stressed with work. It was a subject that they didn't talk about much because she hated omitting the truth about her work and he didn't want to bore her with his. So, she brushed it off, something that she really shouldn't have. Because when he finally said it, she didn't know what to do. They had been going out for four months but it felt like so much longer. He told her that he loved her – something that they had said to each other last month – before saying that he had gotten a promotion. When she told him that she was happy for him, he then proceeded to tell her that it was in New York City. After that, he then told her about the job opportunity that was waiting for her too, if she wanted it. When she told him how big of a decision that would be, he only said to at least consider it. The date ended shortly after and he kissed her goodnight when he dropped her home.

It really is a big decision; she's made a nice life for herself here. She has made roots and actually enjoys her work and life. But she also enjoys Max and everything that he ha to offer. She's struggling to say "yes" or "no" because for every pro, there's a con and she's still trying to work out which option is the better one. There are just so many factors to consider and one of them is the work that she's been doing for the city. She supposes that she only agreed to help him until they found Walter. But then again, she a=had also told him that she wasn't going anywhere. She's not going to base her decision on him; she's done enough of that. But she can't help but wonder what would happen if she told him that she was leaving. Would he let her go or would he try and stop her? It's a stupid thought, for many reasons. But it would be nice – even if it's just an illusion – to believe that he would try and stop her. And she's not quite sure what to think of that realization. Even though, it would be amazing to lead a life away from danger and drama, she's not sure about the end result of what would happen if she left. Because she's already uprooted her life once and she better be damn sure about blindly uprooting it again.

**AN It's a little shorter than normal but the next one should be longer. Have you guys since the cast interviews, they're hilarious. Anyways, thanks for the notifications, you all are awesome. Let me know if you liked this chapter or not and I'm always up for a couple of ideas. :)**


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